Internal-combustion engine.



G. H. HINCHLIFFE. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED ms. 20. m4.

1,171,435. Patented Feb. 15,1916.

Fig. 1. J

Witnesses v a I. Inventor: //M= w44 Georg H. Hinchhfhs GEORGE H. HINCHLIFFE, BQSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

NTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

menses. I

Specification of Letters Fate-at.

Patented Fehr 15, H6.

Application filed February 20, i914. Serial No. 820,054.

To all whom it may-concern:

Be it,known thatI, Gnoncn H. Hmon' 'Iurrn, a; citizen of the United States, rel siding at Boston, bounty of Suffolk, State of Massachusettsghave invented an Im- "p-roveme'nti in? Internal-Combustion Eng1nes,'of which the'following description,

,iniconnection- .with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, ;like characters 'on the-drawing. "representing like parts.

This invention -relates to internal combustion engines andfhas for'its object to provide an engine of this itype which capable of advantageouslyilsing thelheavier oils, such 'as kerosene,- or even crude oil, for fuel. I s c In accordance with my invention 1 provide an arrangement whereby the exhaust gases from the cnginc'are utilized to heat the incoming charge, so that the oil constituting saidcharge will be thoroughly vaporized before it 'is introduced into the -The '-inyentionfalso aims? to provide a novelconstruction whereby the temperatureofithe heating chamber in which the incoming charge is heated can be regulated so as to'maintain an approximately uniform embodied in a' four-cycle engine. I wish it understood, however, that by suitable modifications it can be readily embodied in a two-cycle engine; I

Inthe drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view "of a selected embodiment of my invention. f Fig. 2is a sectional view on the line ww, .iFig. 1.

I have shown at 1 the cylinder of an engine in which a piston 2 operates. This cylinder is shown as provided with the usual water jacket 3 and with the automaticallyacting inlet valve 4 and the exhaust valve 5 of usual construction which will be operated by any suitable mechanism not shown. In the construction herein shown thepiston is provided with a-piston rod 6 connected to' a cross-head 7 operating in guides 8 and to. which is connected a connecting rod 9 that leads to the usual crank shaft.

that if the oil In accordance with my invention each incoming charge of fuel is subjected to the warming influence ofthe exhaust gases so of the charge is'not completely vaporized by the charge by theexhaust gases will result in completing the vaporization and thus producing a Warm completclywaporized charge which will be most effective in the working end of the cylinder. In the embodih'lent herein shown the fuel charge is deliifered from a carburetor 10 of any suitable construction through a pipe ll'into a chamber 12 which is herein constituted by the lower end of the cylinder 1 beneath the piston 2. This chamber 12 communicates by means of a duct or passage 13 with the space M at the top of the cylinder, which space in turn has, communication with the working end of the cylinder through the inlet valve 4. The chamber 12 is surround ed by a jacket 15 intoflwhiehrggghe exhaust gases are discharged, and the duct 13 is also provided with means for heating it, so that each incoming fuel charge is heated not only in the chamber 12, but also its. pas sage through the duct 13. p

The exhaust valve 5 opens into a passage or chamber 16 which surrounds the inlet passage, 13 and whichconnnunieetesthrough port 17 with the jacket chamber-.15,said' jacket chamber being provided with the exhaust port 18 through which thegases are finally exhausted. In order tomaintain as even a temperature as possible in the inlet duct 13, I propose to impose said duct or passage in a jacket 19 of some heat: retaining material, such, for instance, as soapstone. This can be conveniently done by employing a casing 20 which is situated concentrically of the duct 13 but spaced the carburetor the heating of Cir Thisheat-retaining member may conveniently be in the form of a piece oi soapstone or may be made of airy material which will retain the heat therein, but freely give it up to the gases in the chamber 12. if they Upon each Lip-stroke of the piston O fuel charge will be sucked into the chamber 12, and upon each down stroke this fuel charge will be forced into the inlet duct or passage 13 past the check valve 23. Assuming that an explosive charge had just been delivered. to the working end of the cylinder through the inlet valve 4: and has been ignited, then during the downward working stroke of the piston the charge in the chamber will be forced around into the passage 13 past the check valve 23. This charge will be retained in the passage 13 because the pressure of the gas in the work ing end of the cylinder 1 will. hold the inlet valve 4 closed. During the next lip-stroke of the piston 2 the exhaust valve 5 may be opened by any suitable means, and the cylinder will be exhausted and simultaneously a second combustible charge will be drawn into the chamber 12 through the carburetor 10. The exhaust gases pass through the passage 16 into the iacket chambers 15 and 24 and thence out through the exhaust port 18, and during their passage they serve to heat the hcat-rctaining material 19 and also to heat the chamber 12. During the next down stroke a suction will be generated in the working end of the cylinder 1 sullicient to open the inlet valve 4 and allow the explosive charge confined in the passage 13 to pass into the cylinder, and during this same down stroke a second charge which has been drawn into the chamber 12 will. be forced into chamber 13 and around into the working end of the cylin der. During the next upstrokdlganother charge will be drawn into the chamber 12 and the two previous charges which have been delivered, to the Working end of the cylinder will. be compressed ready to be ignited at the proper time. It will thus be seen that with the construction shown a charge of combustible fluid will be drawn into the chamber 12 at each tip-stroke of the' piston, and that during the downward working strol-lc of the piston the charge in the chamber 12 will be forced around rate and retained in the pamage 13, while daring the next dowri-stroke of the piston both the charge of combustible fluid which is in the chamber 13 and the second charge which has been drawn into the chamber 12 will be forced around into the working end of the cylinder. It will further be seen that owing to the presence of the heat-retaining members 19 and 21 the temperature of the chamber 12 and the passage 13 will be main tained substantially uniform, so that the combustible charges which are admitted to the working'end of the cylinder'will always be at substantially the same temperature. By such an arrangement it is possible to use the heavier oils as fuel, for any unvaporized oil which is retained in the charge as it is delivered to the chamber 12 will be vaporized by the heat in said chamber and in the passage 13 before the charge is delivered to the working end of the cylinder.

The object in'having the auxiliary chamber 24 is to rovide means for keeping the heat-retaining, member 21 thoroughly heated. v

I have provided at 33 a temperature indicator by which the temperature of the member. 21 can be determined.

M invention also provides means whereby i the chamber 12 tends to get too hot for the properoperation of the engine, the exhaust gases can be discharged from the passage 16 before they are dclivered tqgthc jacket 15. I accomplish this herein by prii viding a thermostatically operated valve 35 which controls a discharge port 36 that com-- municates with the passage 16 and which is normally closed, but which is adapted to' nectcd at its lower end to the. arm 39 of a thermostat 40 that is associated with the. heat-retaining member 21.. The -tl'u'zrmostat is so adjusted that when the temperature of the member 21 rises to a redetermined point, the expansion of'the t crmostat wi l rock the lever 37 and open the "alve 35 after which the exhaust gases will be largely discharged through the port 36, instead of through the jacket 15 and port 18. When the temperature of the heat-retaining member 21 falls below a predetermined amount, then the thermostat will close the valve 35 again, thus compelling all the' exhaust gases to pass through the jacket 15.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: e

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder, of a piston therein, one end of the cylinder constituting the working end thereof and the other end constituting a heating chamber for the combustible fluid, means to deliver a combustible fluid charge to said chamber, a passage forming communication between said chamber and the working end of the cylinder, a jacket surrounding said chamber, and means whereby the exhaust gases from the engine are exhausted through said jacket, the heat of said exhaust gases operating to heat the charges of combustible fluid delivered to said chamber.

2. In an internal-combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder, of a piston therein, one end of the cylinder constituting the working end thereof and the other end constituting a heating chamber for the combustiblc fluid, means to deliver a combustible fluid charge to said chamber, a passage forming communication between said chamber and the working end of the cylinder, :1 jacket surrounding said chamber, means whereby the exhaust gases from the engine are exhausted through said jacket, the heat of said exhaust gases operating to heat the charges of combustible fluid delivered to said chamber, and a heat-retaining member situated within said chamber.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder, of a piston therein, one end of the cylinder constituting the working end thereof and the other end constitutin I a heating chamber for the com bustiblc fluid, means to deliver a combustible fluid charge to said chamber, a passage forming communication between said chamber and the working end of the cylinder, a jacket surrounding said chamber, an exhaust passage leading from the working end of the cylinder to said ackct and through which said inlet passage extends, and a jacket of heat-retaining material surrounding said inlet passage whereby the exhaust gases serve to heat the combustible cimrges delivered to the chamber and inlet passage.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder. of a piston therein, said cylinder presenting at one end a workin chamber and at the other end a heating ciamber, means to deliver a con":- bustible charge to the heating chhn' means constituting communication lJLclIMt. n the heating chamber and the working eu-xi. of the cyllnder, a jacket for the heating chamber, an exhaust passage leading in the working end of the cylinder to said jacket and through which the products of combustion are exhausted, a bypass port leading from said exhaust passage, and a thermostatically-controlled valve for said port.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a cylinder, of a; pistcn therein, said cylinder presenting at one end a working chamber and at the other end a heating chamber, means to deliver a combustible charge to the heating chamber, means constituting communication between heating chamber and the working end cf the cylinder, a jacket for the heating chain her, an exhaust passage leading from the working end of the cylinder to said jacket and through which the products of combos tion are exhausted, a bypass port lead. from said exhaust passage, a valve in; port, and athermostat in said heating \fl' tlnk her by which the valve is controlled.

In testimony whereof, I have sitar in; name to this specification, in the yrcsencc of two subscribing witnesses,

GEORGE H. li ih jiijii Witnesses BER'II-IA l5. Hansen, Louis (I. SMLTH, 

